When I heard from Arthur the terrible news of Lucy's strange illness, I went to her immediately. I could see that she was very ill. She lay in bed all day and did not move. She was as white as a ghost and she was very thin. When night came, she was afraid to sleep, and in the morning, on her neck there were two strange little wounds.
露西得了一種怪病,當(dāng)我從阿瑟那里得知這個(gè)可怕的消息時(shí),立刻去了她那兒。可以看出,她病得很重。她整天躺在床上,一動不動。她的臉像鬼一樣慘白,而且很瘦弱。夜晚來臨時(shí),她害怕去睡覺,早晨,她的脖子上就會出現(xiàn)兩個(gè)奇怪的小傷口。
I did not know what was wrong with Lucy. She was losing blood. But how? Was it through these two little wounds in her neck?
我不知道露西到底怎么了。她一直在失血。但血是怎么失掉的呢?是通過她脖子上的那兩個(gè)小傷口嗎?
I decided to send for my old teacher Professor Van Helsing from Holland. Perhaps he could help.
我決定派人去請我以前的老師,在荷蘭的范赫爾辛教授。也許他能幫上忙。
He came immediately, and when he saw how ill Lucy was, he said, 'We must give her blood at once.'
他立刻就趕來了,當(dāng)他看了露西的病情后,說:“我們必須馬上給她輸血。”
'She can have my blood!' cried Arthur. 'All of it—to the last drop!'
“她可以用我的血!”阿瑟大聲說,“全部的血——直到最后一滴!”
Van Helsing was right. With Arthur's blood in her, Lucy began to get better immediately. But before he left, Van Helsing did one more thing. He brought some flowers with a very strong smell, and he put a circle of them round Lucy's neck. 'My dear,' he said, 'these are garlic flowers. Do not take them from your neck tonight, and do not open your window.'
范赫爾辛做得很對。有了阿瑟的血,露西馬上開始好轉(zhuǎn)了。但離開之前,范赫爾辛又做了一件事。他拿了一些味道很重的花,編成花環(huán)戴在露西的脖子上。“親愛的,”他說,“這是大蒜花。今晚不要把它們從脖子上摘下來,也不要開窗戶。”
Van Helsing had to return to Holland for a few days and before he left, he told us: 'You must watch Lucy every night, and be sure that she wears the garlic flowers.'
范赫爾辛必須回荷蘭幾天,離開之前,他告訴我們:“你們必須每天晚上看著露西,確保她一直戴著大蒜花環(huán)。”
Lucy's mother was ill herself—her heart was not strong—and Arthur had to go back home because his father was dying. So for a week I watched over Lucy myself at night, and sometimes, when I sat by her bed, I heard strange noises at the window. Perhaps it was a tree, or the wind, I thought.
露西的母親也病了——她心臟不好——阿瑟也不得不回家,因他父親病危。所以有一周時(shí)間,晚上一直由我看護(hù)著露西,有時(shí)我坐在她床邊,就會聽到窗戶那兒有奇怪的聲響。我想也許是樹,或者可能是風(fēng)吧。
I was working at my hospital during the day, and after a week I was very tired, so one night I did not go to Lucy's house. I needed to sleep, and I knew that Lucy's mother and the servants were there. Also, Van Helsing sent new garlic flowers every day, for Lucy to wear at night.
我白天在醫(yī)院上班,一星期后,我已經(jīng)很疲憊了,所以有一天晚上我沒有去露西家,我需要睡一覺,而且我知道露西的母親和仆人們都在那兒。而且范赫爾辛每天都會讓人送來新的大蒜花,讓露西在晚上戴著。
The next morning at the hospital I had a note from Van Helsing. 'Watch Lucy carefully tonight,' he wrote. 'I shall be with you tomorrow.' But that was now today! The note was too late!
第二天早晨,我在醫(yī)院收到了范赫爾辛的一張便條。“今晚要小心看護(hù)露西,”他寫道,“明天我會到你那兒去的。”但現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)是今天了!這張便條來得太晚了!
I did not wait for breakfast, but hurried to the house immediately. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Just then Van Helsing arrived.
我沒等吃早飯就立刻趕往露西家。我敲了敲門,但沒人應(yīng)。正在這時(shí)范赫爾辛也趕到了。
'What happened?' he cried. 'Did you not get my note? Quick! Perhaps we are already too late!'
“出什么事了?”他大聲說,“你沒有收到我的便條嗎?快點(diǎn)兒!也許我們已經(jīng)太遲了!”
We knocked again, but there was still no answer. We went round to the back of the house and Van Helsing broke the kitchen window and we went in.
我們又敲門,但仍沒有應(yīng)答。我們就繞到屋子后面,范赫爾辛打破廚房的窗戶,我們才爬了進(jìn)去。
It was dark in the kitchen, but we could see the bodies of the four servants on the floor. They were not dead, but asleep. 'Someone put something in their drinks,' said Van Helsing. 'Come! We must find Lucy. If we are not too late!'
廚房里很暗,但我們可以看到地上四個(gè)仆人的軀體。他們沒有死,只是睡著了。“有人在他們的飲料里放了東西。”范赫爾辛說,“快點(diǎn)兒!我們必須找到露西。希望還不是太晚!”
We ran up to Lucy's room, and stopped outside it. With white faces and shaking hands, we opened the door softly and went into the room.
我們向樓上露西的房間跑去,在門外停了下來。我們臉色發(fā)白,雙手發(fā)抖,輕輕地打開房門,走了進(jìn)去。
How can I describe what we saw? The bodies of two women—Lucy and her mother—lay on the bed. The faces of both women were white, and on the mother's face there was a look of terrible fear. In her hand she held the flowers from Lucy's neck, and on the floor there was glass from the broken window.
我該怎么來描述眼前的情景?兩個(gè)女人——露西和她媽媽——躺在床上。兩人都面白如紙,而且母親的臉上還有一種極度恐懼的表情。她的手里攥著從露西脖子上拿下來的花環(huán),地上散落著窗戶玻璃的碎片。
Van Helsing looked down at the two women. 'The poor mother is dead,' he said. 'But for Lucy it is not too late! Go and wake the servants!'
范赫爾辛俯身看了一下這兩個(gè)女人。“可憐的媽媽已經(jīng)死了,”他說,“但對于露西來說還不算太晚!去把那些仆人們叫醒!”
I ran downstairs to wake them. 'Put her in a hot bath,' Van Helsing said.
我跑下樓把他們喚醒。“把她放到有熱水的浴盆里。”范赫爾辛說。
After a time, Lucy began to show some life, and they took her and put her in a warm bed. From time to time she slept, but she did not fight to stay alive. She could not eat anything, and she was very weak. We sent for Arthur, and when he came, he was very unhappy. His father was now dead, and he could see that Lucy was very, very ill. One of us sat with Lucy all the time, and that night Arthur and Van Helsing slept in the sitting-room, while I watched over Lucy.
過了一會兒,露西開始有了一點(diǎn)生氣,仆人們把她放在溫暖的床上。她時(shí)醒時(shí)睡,但并不掙扎著求生。她什么也不能吃,非常虛弱。我們讓人去找阿瑟,他來的時(shí)候非常傷心。他父親已經(jīng)去世了,他能看出露西病得非常非常嚴(yán)重。我們中總有一個(gè)人時(shí)刻和露西待在一起,晚上阿瑟和范赫爾辛睡在客廳,我看護(hù)著露西。
When Van Helsing came back up to me at six o'clock, Arthur was still asleep downstairs. Van Helsing went over to Lucy and looked at her. 'The wounds on her neck have gone,' he said. 'She will soon be dead. Bring Arthur.'
6點(diǎn)鐘,范赫爾辛回到我這兒時(shí),阿瑟仍在樓下睡覺。范赫爾辛走過去看了看露西。“她脖子上的傷口沒有了,”他說,“她快要死了。把阿瑟叫來。”
When Arthur and I came back, Lucy opened her lovely eyes. 'Oh, Arthur,' she said softly. 'Kiss me, my love.'
我和阿瑟回來時(shí),露西睜開了她迷人的眼睛。“哦,阿瑟,”她輕聲說,“吻我,親愛的。”
He moved his head nearer to her, but Van Helsing pulled him back. 'No!' he cried. For a minute, Lucy's face was hard and angry. She opened her mouth, and her teeth looked very long and sharp. Then her eyes closed and she slept. Soon she woke again, took Van Helsing's hand and said softly, 'My true friend.' And then, quietly, Lucy died.
阿瑟把頭靠近她,但范赫爾辛一把將他拉了回來。“別過去!”他大聲說。有那么一瞬間,露西的臉變得又兇狠又憤怒。她張開了嘴,牙齒又長又尖。然后她閉上眼睛睡著了。很快她又醒了,拉住范赫爾辛的手,輕聲說:“你是我真正的朋友。”然后露西就靜靜地死去了。
'She's gone,' said Van Helsing, and Arthur put his head in his hands and cried.
“她走了。”范赫爾辛說道,阿瑟用手抱住頭痛哭起來。
Later, I went back into Lucy's room, and Van Helsing and I looked down together at her beautiful face.
過了一會兒,我回到露西的房間,和范赫爾辛一起看著她美麗的臉。
'Poor girl,' I said. 'It is the end.'
“可憐的姑娘,”我說,“一切都結(jié)束了。”
'No,' he replied. 'This is only the beginning.'
“不,”他回答說,“這僅僅是個(gè)開始。”
Some days later there were strange stories in the newspapers, stories about young children who went out at night and did not go home until the next morning. And when they did go home, they talked about a 'beautiful lady'. All these children had drops of blood and two little wounds on their necks.
幾天后報(bào)紙上報(bào)道了一些奇怪的事:一些小孩子夜里出去直到第二天早晨才回家。他們回到家時(shí),總談到一個(gè)“美麗的小姐”。他們的脖子上都有斑斑的血跡和兩個(gè)小傷口。
Van Helsing read these stories, and he brought the paper round to me. 'What do you think of that?' he asked.
范赫爾辛讀了這些故事后,把報(bào)紙帶到了我這兒。“你對此怎么想?”他問道。
'I don't know,' I said. 'These two little wounds sound like poor Lucy's wounds, but how can that be?'
“我不知道,”我說,“這兩個(gè)小傷口聽起來很像可憐的露西的傷口,但怎么可能呢?”
Then Van Helsing explained. At first I could not believe it, and we talked for a long time. At last I said, 'Are you saying that poor Lucy was killed by a vampire, and that now the vampire is taking blood from these children too?'
然后范赫爾辛做了解釋。起初我不相信,我們談了很久。最后我說:“你是說可憐的露西被一個(gè)吸血鬼害死了,而現(xiàn)在這個(gè)吸血鬼又從這些孩子身上吸血?”
'No,' Van Helsing replied. 'You haven't understood. The vampire which is taking blood from these children is ... Lucy herself.'
“不,”范赫爾辛回答說,“你沒弄明白。從這些孩子身上吸血的這個(gè)吸血鬼正是……露西本人。”
I was very angry. 'That's not true!' I cried.
我很生氣。“不可能!”我叫道。
'Then come with me,' he said. 'And I will show you.'
“那么跟我來,”他說,“我要讓你看看。”
So that night he took me to Lucy's tomb. He had the key and we went inside. I was very afraid. In the dark, with the dead flowers lying on Lucy's coffin, the tomb was a terrible place. Slowly, Van Helsing began to open the coffin. Then he turned to me, and said, 'Look.'
于是那天晚上他把我?guī)У搅寺段鞯哪沟?。他有鑰匙,我們進(jìn)到了里面。我非常害怕。四周一片黑暗,露西棺材上的花都已枯死,墓室顯得非??植?。范赫爾辛慢慢地打開棺材,然后他轉(zhuǎn)向我說:“看。”
I came nearer and looked. The coffin was empty.
我走近一看,棺材是空的。
For me, it was a terrible surprise, but Van Helsing only shook his head. 'Now we must wait outside,' he said.
對于我來說,這真是一件可怕的怪事,但范赫爾辛只是搖了搖頭,“現(xiàn)在我們必須在外面等著。”他說。
We waited all night. I was cold and afraid, and angry with myself and with Van Helsing. Then, suddenly, something white moved in the trees near the tomb. We went nearer, and we found a little child on the ground, by the tomb. Van Helsing held it out to me, and I looked at its neck. 'There are no wounds on the child's neck,' I said.
我們在那里等了一夜。我又冷又怕,既恨自己,又怨范赫爾辛。突然,有一團(tuán)白色的東西進(jìn)了墓地附近的樹林。我們走近一些,發(fā)現(xiàn)地上躺著一個(gè)小孩兒,就躺在墓穴旁邊。范赫爾辛把孩子抱起來遞給我,我看了一下孩子的脖子。“孩子的脖子上沒有傷口。”我說。
'No,' Van Helsing replied. 'We are just in time.'
“不,”范赫爾辛回答道,“我們來的正是時(shí)候。”
The next day, Van Helsing and I went back into the tomb again and opened the lid of the coffin. This time Lucy's body lay there. She died more than a week ago—but she did not look dead. Her mouth was red and her face was more beautiful than ever. Then Van Helsing pulled back her mouth and showed me her long, sharp teeth.
第二天我和范赫爾辛又來到了墓地,掀開棺材的蓋子。這次露西的尸體躺在里面。她是一個(gè)多星期前死的——但她看起來根本不像死人。她的嘴紅紅的,臉前所未有地漂亮。然后范赫爾辛扒開她的嘴,讓我看她那又長又尖的牙齒。
'Now do you believe me?' he said. 'Lucy is now one of the Un-Dead, and with these teeth she will soon kill one of these poor little children. We must stop her before she does.' He stopped for a minute and thought. 'But we must send for Arthur. He, too, must see—and believe this.'
“這下你相信我了嗎?”他說,“露西現(xiàn)在就是一個(gè)吸血鬼,她很快就會用這些牙齒害死其中一個(gè)可憐的小孩子。我們必須在她殺人之前制止她。”他停下來想了想,“但我們得讓人去找阿瑟。他也必須看到——并且相信這件事。”
Arthur was very unhappy, and also angry. He could not believe that Lucy was now one of the Un-Dead, but in the end he agreed to come with us to the tomb.
阿瑟很不高興,也很憤怒。他不相信露西現(xiàn)在會是一個(gè)吸血鬼,但最后他還是答應(yīng)和我們一塊兒去墓地。
It was just before midnight when we got to the churchyard. The night was dark, but now and then, a little moonlight came through the clouds. Van Helsing opened the door of the tomb and we all went in.
我們剛好在午夜之前到達(dá)了教堂墓地。夜色漆黑,但是云層間偶爾透出些月光。范赫爾辛打開墓室的門,我們走了進(jìn)去。
'Now, Jack,' he said to me, 'you were with me yesterday afternoon. Was Miss Lucy's body in that coffin then?'
“嘿,杰克,”他對我說,“昨天下午你和我一起來時(shí),露西小姐的尸體在棺材里嗎?”
'It was,' I replied.
“是的。”我回答說。
Slowly, Van Helsing opened the coffin. Arthur's face was white when he moved nearer. We all looked down. The coffin was empty!
范赫爾辛慢慢地打開棺材。阿瑟走近時(shí),臉變得煞白。我們都朝里望去。棺材是空的!
For a minute, no one spoke. Then Van Helsing said, 'Now we must go outside and wait.'
一時(shí)間,我們都默默無言。過了一會兒,范赫爾辛說:“我們必須去外面等著。”
It was good to be outside again, away from the dark, smelly tomb. We stood and waited in silence. Then, through the trees, we saw something white. It was moving nearer to us. Its face was white, its mouth was red, and drops of blood fell from it. Suddenly it saw us and stopped. It gave us a Look of terrible anger, and Arthur gave a little cry. 'It's Lucy!'
離開這座陰暗難聞的墓室重新回到外面,感覺好多了。我們靜靜地站在那兒等著。就在那時(shí),我們看到樹林里有一個(gè)白影正向我們走來。它越走越近,臉色慘白,嘴唇血紅,而鮮血又不時(shí)地從嘴里滴下來。突然它看見我們,停了下來,惱怒地盯著我們,神色可怕。阿瑟低聲叫道:“是露西!”
She smiled. 'Oh, Arthur, come to me. Leave those others, and come to me, my love,' she said sweetly.
她笑了。“哦,阿瑟,到我這兒來。親愛的,離開那些人,到我這兒來。”她溫柔地說。
Arthur took his hands from his face and opened his arms to her. She was moving nearer to him when Van Helsing ran between them, and held out his little gold cross. Lucy stopped and stood back from it. Then, with a look of terrible anger on her face, she went to the tomb and through the door. The door was closed, but she went through it!
阿瑟把捂著臉的手放了下來,他張開雙臂,向她走去。她也慢慢地向他靠近,這時(shí)范赫爾辛跑到他們中間,拿出他的小金十字架。露西站住了,退回去想避開它。然后她帶著一臉的憤怒,穿過門走進(jìn)墓室。門是關(guān)著的,而她卻穿了過去!
'Now, Arthur, my friend,' Van Helsing said, 'do you understand?'
“現(xiàn)在,阿瑟,我的朋友,”范赫爾辛說,“你相信了吧?”
Arthur put his face in his hands and cried, 'I do! Oh, I do!'
阿瑟抱著頭哭道:“我相信了!哦,我相信了!”
The next day, Arthur, Van Helsing, and I went back to the tomb. Van Helsing had a bag with him, and when we were in the tomb, he again opened Lucy's coffin. The body lay there, horribly beautiful. Arthur was white and he was shaking. 'Is this really Lucy?' he asked.
第二天,阿瑟、范赫爾辛和我回到墓室。范赫爾辛拿著一個(gè)口袋,我們走進(jìn)墓室,他又打開了露西的棺材。尸體躺在那兒,美得嚇人。阿瑟臉色蒼白,渾身發(fā)抖。“這真的是露西嗎?”他問道。
'It is, and it is not. But wait, and you will see the real Lucy again,' Van Helsing replied.
“是的,但也不是。不過等一會兒你就會看到真正的露西了。”范赫爾辛回答道。
He took from his bag a long piece of wood and a hammer. Arthur and I stood silent and watched. Then Van Helsing said to Arthur, 'You loved Lucy. You must bring her back to us. You must take this piece of wood in your left hand, and the hammer in your right hand. Then you must drive the wood through Lucy's heart. It isn't easy for you, but it will soon be done. Can you do this for her?'
他從袋子里掏出一根長長的木條和一把錘子。我和阿瑟靜靜地站在那兒,看著他。范赫爾辛對阿瑟說:“你曾經(jīng)愛過露西。你必須把她給我們帶回來。你必須左手拿著這塊木頭,右手拿著錘子,然后把木頭釘進(jìn)露西的心臟。這對你來說很不容易,但很快就會做完的。你能為她做這件事嗎?
'I can,' Arthur replied strongly.
“我能。”阿瑟堅(jiān)定地回答。
His face was very pale, but he held the piece of wood over Lucy's heart. and brought the hammer down hard.
他臉色蒼白,但還是把木頭放在露西的心臟上,用錘子猛地砸了下去。
The body turned from side to side and a horrible scream came from the open red mouth. Arthur did not stop. Harder and harder he hit the wood with the hammer, until, at last, the body stopped moving and lay quiet.
尸體翻滾著,張著血紅的嘴,發(fā)出凄厲的慘叫,但阿瑟沒有停下來。他越來越猛烈地用鐵錘敲擊著木頭,直到最后,尸體不動了,靜靜地躺在那里。
The hammer fell from Arthur's hand, and he stood there, white and shaking. Van Helsing went over to him. 'And now you may kiss her,' he said. 'See! The vampire is dead, and the real Lucy has come back.'
鐵錘從阿瑟的手中滑落下來。他站在那兒,臉色蒼白,渾身發(fā)抖。范赫爾辛走到他身邊。“現(xiàn)在你可以吻她了,”他說,“看!吸血鬼死了,真正的露西回來了。”
It was true. Lucy's face was pale and still, but it was now quiet and restful. Arthur kissed her softly on the mouth, and then Van Helsing closed the coffin again, this time, for ever.
確實(shí)如此。露西蒼白而僵硬的臉,現(xiàn)在顯得寧靜而安祥。阿瑟在她的嘴上輕輕吻了一下,范赫爾辛重新蓋上了棺材,這次是永遠(yuǎn)地蓋上了。
'Now, my friends,' Van Helsing said, 'we have only just begun. We must find the vampire that killed Miss Lucy. It will be difficult and dangerous. Will you help me?'
“我的朋友們,”范赫爾辛說,“現(xiàn)在我們只是剛剛開始。我們必須找到害死露西小姐的那個(gè)吸血鬼。這既艱難又危險(xiǎn)。你們愿意幫助我嗎?”
'Yes,' we said. 'We will.'
“是的,”我們說,“我們愿意。”
* * *
ghost n. spirit of a dead person appearing to sb. who is still living. 鬼。
send for ask or order that sb. should come. 派人去請。
professor n. (title of a) university teacher of the highest grade who holds a chair in a subject. 教授。
circle n. the line enclosing a circle; ring. 環(huán),圈。
garlic n. onion-like plant with strong taste and smell, used in cooking. 大蒜。
wear v. have sth. on one's body, esp. as clothing, or an ornament, etc. 戴,穿。
note n. short letter. 便條。
knock v. strike (sth.) with a sharp blow. 敲。
kitchen n. room or building in which meals are cooked or prepared. 廚房。
shake v. (of a person) tremble; quiver. (指人)發(fā)抖,打顫。
describe v. say what sb. / sth. is like; depict sth. in words. 描述。
from time to time now and then, occasionally. 不時(shí),間或。
fight v. make (one's way) or achieve (sth.) by fighting or effort. (經(jīng)奮斗或努力)獲得(某事物)。
sitting-room n. room in a private house for general use during the daytime. 起居室。
go over move from one (usu. distant) place to another. 從一處(通常為遠(yuǎn)處)到另一處。
wound n. injury caused deliberately to part of the body by cutting, shooting. etc., esp. as the result of an attack. 傷。
minute n. very short time; moment. 瞬間,一會兒。
sound v. give a specific impression when heard. 聽起來。
explain v. make sth. plain or clear. 解釋。
show v. cause sb. / sth. to be seen. 給某人看。
tomb n. hole dug in the ground, etc. for a dead body, esp. one with a stone monument over it. 墳?zāi)埂?/p>
empty adj. having nothing inside. 空的。
hold out stretch out. 伸出,端出。
in time not late. 及時(shí)。
lid n. hinged or removable cover for a box, pot, etc. 蓋子。
pull back retreat or cause sth. retreat. 把……向后拉。
now and then at regular intervals. 時(shí)而,偶爾。
smelly adj. having a bad smell. 有臭味兒的。
silence n. not speaking, answering sth. spoken or written, making comment. 沉默。
sweetly adv. in an attractive manner. 溫柔地。
bring back return back. 把……帶回來。
drive v. force (sth.) to go in a specified direction or into a specified position. 敲,戳。
still adj. (almost) without movement or sound. 死寂的。
restful adj. give a feeling of rest. 寧靜的。